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[mindblanking]

I'm thinking about picking up some DSD downloads from Acoustic Sounds and wondering if I'll be able to convert them easily to PCM using MC?  Unfortunately by DAC does not decode DSD.  Also, does it make sense to do this or will I be sacrificing sound quality?   Thanks!  Love MC btw!

[mojave]

 JRiver will decode DSD and play it just fine. No conversion is necessary. However, it will convert using Library Tools > Convert Format. Some DSD Dac's do the conversion internally to PCM so I wouldn't worry about sound quality.

[mindblanking]

Thanks for the response... But, if I understand correctly, JRiver will allow me to play DSD through my computer speakers.  If I'm utilizing a PCM only DAC to play out through my system, I WILL need to convert the files to PCM, right?  Otherwise my DAC won't "read" the files and therefore won't play them.  Correct?  Thanks!

[kstuart]

Thanks for the response... But, if I understand correctly, JRiver will allow me to play DSD through my computer speakers.  If I'm utilizing a PCM only DAC to play out through my system, I WILL need to convert the files to PCM, right?  Otherwise my DAC won't "read" the files and therefore won't play them.  Correct?  Thanks!

JRiver can either:
* Do a task that creates a PCM file that you can then play normally. (This requires doing this conversion task, say, when you first acquire DSD files)
* Convert the DSD file to PCM on the fly, in real-time, as you are playing the DSD file.  This is done by making a setting in Tools->Options->DSP & Output Format  (This is what I do, since it preserves the original file, and I don't have a DAC that does DSD.)

Theoretically, converting DSD to PCM is degrading the quality, but if you convert it to 176.4 khz PCM, it is highly debatable whether there is any real difference.  Note that many DSD files were created using workstations that internally convert to PCM and then back to DSD, and in those cases, you lose nothing by converting to PCM.

Editorial - the current DSD fad seems to be fueled by labels looking for more sales.  Most engineers who prefer high resolution, prefer 24/192 PCM to DSD.  Some have theorized that DSD was originally created by Sony simply because it does DRM better...

[6233638]

By default Media Center should play back DSD files as PCM - you need to enable bitstreaming if you want to send native DSD to a DSD-capable DAC.
 
You can also use Media Center to convert DSD files to PCM formats (e.g. FLAC) but it should not be necessary unless your CPU is not fast enough to handle this conversion in realtime.
 

Editorial - the current DSD fad seems to be fueled by labels looking for more sales.  Most engineers who prefer high resolution, prefer 24/192 PCM to DSD.  Some have theorized that DSD was originally created by Sony simply because it does DRM better...

DSD was superior to PCM back when it was being thought up, but PCM has surpassed DSD performance in most regards now.
Some people will argue that 2/4/8x DSD is superior, I think the mastering process matters far more than the final output format.
 
As someone with a DSD-capable DAC, I don't hear any meaningful difference between Media Center decoding DSD files to 176.4kHz PCM, or bitstreaming native DSD to the DAC.
 
Converting to PCM allows me to take advantage of Volume Leveling and other DSP when listening to DSD native tracks, which would not be possible if it was bitstreamed.

[mindblanking]

Thanks for the responses... Good news is that I'm not precluded from buying dsd downloads! 

[mindblanking]

Not sure what happened but I purchased Coleman Hawkins and Confreres from Acoustic Sounds as a DSD download.  However my DAC is a PCM only dac and I'm now not able to play the Hawkins through JRiver.  Weird because I know I WAS able to before.  Recently downloaded the newest version of JRiver and wondering if that has something to do with it.  I just tried converting the dsd file to uncompressed WAV and keep getting a failure.  Can someone help?  What do I need to do to be able to play this DSD download?  Thanks!

[Deping]

Hey Guys well i perform with Sonoma DSD.I find that all the dithering settings in Weiss Saracon have a damaging impact when transforming DSD to PCM except which is truly amazing.Thanks!!

[6233638]

Not sure what happened but I purchased Coleman Hawkins and Confreres from Acoustic Sounds as a DSD download.  However my DAC is a PCM only dac and I'm now not able to play the Hawkins through JRiver.  Weird because I know I WAS able to before.  Recently downloaded the newest version of JRiver and wondering if that has something to do with it.  I just tried converting the dsd file to uncompressed WAV and keep getting a failure.  Can someone help?  What do I need to do to be able to play this DSD download?  Thanks!

Are there any error messages when you try to play it? Check that your DSP Output Format settings are correct.

[mindblanking]

Are there any error messages when you try to play it? Check that your DSP Output Format settings are correct.

Yes... it says something about file not being found but the file is clearly on my hard drive.  What setting specifically should I be looking for?

Thanks!

[6233638]

Yes... it says something about file not being found but the file is clearly on my hard drive.  What setting specifically should I be looking for?

Well that's not what I was expecting. I'm not sure what would cause that, other than the file being in a different location on the disk than from Media Center's library.